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May 10, 2024 · The NOAA is forecasting a 'severe' geomagnetic storm late Friday and into early Saturday. Here's what you need to know about viewing it.
May 10, 2024 · The northern lights could be visible in Northeast Ohio this weekend, including Cleveland and Akron, as the Space Weather Prediction Center issued a rare G4 Watch.
May 10, 2024 · Watch the skies this weekend — the northern lights could be visible across Ohio due to a strong solar storm heading toward earth. Here's what to know.
May 10, 2024 · Ohioans may be able to see the aurora borealis, also called the northern lights, this weekend. Federal forecasters from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center said during previous solar...
- David Wysong
- News of Now Editor
- What Are The Northern Lights?
- What Causes The Northern Lights?
- Why Are They called The Northern Lights?
- Why Is The Aurora More Frequent in Winter?
- Do The Northern Lights Have Any Effect on Earth?
- Are There Southern Lights?
- Do Other Planets Have Auroras?
- How to See The Aurora in The Night Sky
The northern lights, also called the aurora borealis, is the name given to the colorful, celestial light displays famous across the northern latitudes. They are most commonly seen in Northern Canada, Alaska, Northern Europe, and Russia.
The northern lights stem directly from the Sun's core, which is powered by intense nuclear activity. Periodically, this activity boils over and streams of electrically charged particles called plasma are released from the Sun and shot out into space. Some of them make their way to our planet. As they pummel the Earth's magnetic field, they get funn...
According to NASA, the aurora borealis was coined by Galileo Galilei in 1619 A.D. He named them after the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora. Other sources accredit the French philosopher and contemporary of Galileo, Pierre Gassendi,with coining the name, however. But the earliest recorded sighting of the aurora seems to have occurred in 2600 B.C.E....
The best time to see the aurora borealis is during the winter months, but in reality, the northern lights don't occur more often during any one season. Rather, the frequency and intensity of the lights is driven by the behavior of the Sun. “The seasonal variations that we see on Earth are just because that's where it's dark enough to see them,” Jod...
The northern lights aren't harmful to Earth, but the solar plasma that creates them can and does affect technological infrastructure. Because of this potential for harm, there’s an entire industry dedicated to tracking “space weather,” the electromagnetic conditions in space around the Earth, usually driven by the Sun, Ream says. “It can disrupt co...
Yes. The southern lights are called the "aurora australis," and they are created in the same way as northern lights. The land near the north pole is significantly more populated than the land nearest the south pole, so more people see the northern lights. In reality, the southern lights happen just as frequently, and they are just as spectacular.
The short answer is yes. University of Leicester space scientist Jonathan Nichols, tells Inverse:“Any planet with a large magnetic field and a significant atmosphere has auroras. In our solar system, that's Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.” Aurora-like activity has also been reported on Mars, Nichols says. This is surprising, because ou...
To see the aurora borealis, you need to be in the right place at the right time and have the correct viewing conditions. The best time to see the northern lights are on dark, clear nights in the winter months and close to a New Moon. Generally, from September to April are the best viewing months. To ensure you get the best from this natural light s...
What to know about the aurora borealis. The northern lights should be visible again in Ohio on Sunday night. Here's how to view it, and tips for taking pictures of it.
Mar 6, 2023 · CLEVELAND, Ohio — If you’ve ever wanted to see the Northern Lights, aka the Aurora Borealis, but haven’t had the chance to travel far enough north, you might be in luck in Northern Ohio on...
